ABSTRACT Despite the proliferation of diagnostic modalities for pediatric and adult applications, there remains a paucity of methods suitable for fetal applications. Over the past decade, however, we and other researchers have worked to demonstrate the efficacy of fetal magnetocardiography (fMCG), the magnetic analog of fetal ECG, as an important, new method of assessing fetal heart rate, rhythm and conduction. FMCG has provided invaluable insight into the mechanisms of life-threatening fetal arrhythmias and has improved diagnosis and management of this disease. The proposed research seeks to make the technique more widely available than it is currently by demonstrating an fMCG system based on a more practical, affordable technology.